| Sunrise Peak | |
|---|---|
 Sunrise Peak from the southwest | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 5,892 ft (1,796 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 1,852 ft (564 m)[1] |
| Parent peak | Mount Adams (12,276 ft)[2] |
| Isolation | 13.25 mi (21.32 km)[2] |
| Coordinates | 46°19′57″N121°45′33″W / 46.332633°N 121.759151°W /46.332633; -121.759151[1] |
| Geography | |
  Sunrise Peak Location of Sunrise Peak in Washington Show map of Washington (state) Sunrise Peak Sunrise Peak (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Skamania County Washington,U.S. |
| Parent range | Cascades |
| Topo map | USGSMcCoy Peak |
| Geology | |
| Rock type(s) | andesite anddacite |
| Volcanic arc | Cascade Volcanic Arc |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hiking trail |
Sunrise Peak is a prominent 5,892 ft (1,800 m) volcanic mountain summit located in theGifford Pinchot National Forest, inSkamania County ofWashington state.[3] It is situated in theCascade Range, 15.7 mi (25.3 km) northwest ofMount Adams, 21 mi (34 km) northeast ofMount St. Helens, and 36 mi (58 km) south ofMount Rainier. Its nearest higher neighbor is Burnt Rock, 12.2 mi (19.6 km) to the southeast, andJumbo Peak lies 1.7 mi (2.7 km) to the south-southwest.[1] Precipitationrunoff from Sunrise Peak drains into tributaries of theCowlitz River drainage basin. The Sunrise Trail (#262) and Juniper Ridge Trail (#261, #261A) provide access to this remote peak, with minorscrambling at the summit.[4]
The history of the formation of the Cascade Mountains dates back millions of years ago to the lateEocene Epoch.[5] With theNorth American Plate overriding thePacific Plate, episodes ofvolcanic igneous activity occurred.[5] Mount Adams, astratovolcano that is 15.7 mi (25.3 km) southeast of Sunrise Peak, began forming in thePleistocene.[4] Due to Mount Saint Helens' proximity to Sunrise Peak,volcanic ash is common in the area. Sunrise Peak is composed ofPliocene-Mioceneandesiticmagma that intruded up into older volcanic rocks more than five million years ago and is now surrounded by a forest of old-growthDouglas fir andmountain hemlock.
Sunrise Peak is located in themarine west coast climate zone of westernNorth America.[4] Mostweather fronts originate in thePacific Ocean, and travel northeast toward theCascade Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range (Orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the Cascades. As a result, the west side of the Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. During winter months, weather is usually cloudy, but due to high pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean that intensify during summer months, there is often little or no cloud cover during the summer.
